ThisTuesday at 12:00 PM,the Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT) will hold a press conference outside the offices of the District Attorney at 101 West Nueva St. It is TENT’s intent to amplify the egregious failure of our local justice system to respond appropriately to the death of one of San Antonio’s own. Two men, Judge Joey Contreras and District Attorney Nico LaHood, have between them denied a grieving mother of a chance for her child’s killer to even face trial.

This is not a protest. We gather to raise awareness of a tragedy within the very heart of our city. This is a strong effort on the part of TENT and its partners to let the community at large know about this tragedy and prevent it from happening again. It is our intent to let Texans know that there is a real lack of education that unfortunately lives in our court rooms all too often. We hope to take this opportunity to educate people on just how much violence the transgender community-and specifically Black trans women and trans women of color face, and how poorly our justice system has responded in this case.

Let me reiterate: The man responsible for Kenne McFadden’s death will not face trial. This must never happen again.

This is not acceptable. San Antonio needs to know how Kenne has been let down by their local government. Our elected officials need to be better educated and free of even the suggestion of bias. When someone is dead at the hands of another person, a response of some kind through our justice system is and should be expected. Kenne McFadden and her family only saw delay, then denial of it. Nobody’s loved ones should have to suffer like that. Kenne McFadden deserved better. San Antonio deserves better. We all do.

Kenne McFadden and her mother

The rally begins at 6pm at Crockett Park on N. Main in Downtown San Antonio. We will have several speakers to discuss the matter, including Monica Roberts of TransGriot, Ashley Smith, the new President of the San Antonio Gender Association, Lou Weaver, Transgender Programs Coordinator for Equality Texas, Emmett Schelling, Executive Director of the Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT), Sofia Sepulveda of Our Revolution, Erick LaRue of Pride Center San Antonio, Luka Rios, trans advocate and HIV Outreach and Education specialist, and Frankie Gonzales Wolfe, Consultant at Bear County Chairwoman Elect Office.

We would appreciate your attendance; any light we can shed on this story spreads the word about this miscarriage of justice and, we sincerely hope, helps keep this from happening ever again.

This has to be the last time. It must. Please help us make sure that it is.